Feeding mechanism



Feb. 5, 1946. A. E. ALMGREN 9 FEEDING MECHAN-ISM v 3 Filed July 19, 1944 4 Sheets- Sheet 1 Feb. 5, 1946.

A. E. ALMGREN FEEDING MECHANISM Fiied July 19, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 mill I'll

' INVENTOR.

m N- v ATTORNfYS H 6- A. E. ALMGREN 2,393,961 I FEEDING MECHANISM Filed July 19, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet, 3

Feb. 5, 1946. A. E. ALMGREN 2,393,961

FEEDING MECHANISM INVENTOR;

ATTORNEYS Q Patented Feb. 5, 1946 niacin-an 'C'an Company, commandant New "Jersey New York, Y:, a

niipi'ieatiiiniidiii' a, 1944, serial No. 545302 s enna; (Cl. 198- 25) h invention re s o n ed n m c a is for containers or other art-icles and hasparticular reference to arotata'blefeed or transfer turretqf or "separating individual articles-from a stack of articles confined within a magazine while holding back or otherwise SHPPOrtingtheremaining articles in the stack and for moving the SQP" arated articles gradually into an advanced position. r

In, the separation of containers which are i -ed usually by gravity from the bottom oi 'a yertically disposed stack or a magazine, the supply of containers suddenly :el-rops whenthe lowermost container is withdrawn; This sometimes results in mar-ring or damaging the containers I particularly whensuch 'containersare fragile. The continuous droppingof containers in a magazine also causesconsiderable noise especially when they are maoleof metal; I I I V The instant invention contemplates overcom ing these 'difficulties by theprovision oi -a transfer turret which can be mounted on a horizontal shaft located beneath amagazineand which car- ,ries devices for supporting and gradually lower ing the supply :of containers while -separating the lowermost container from the remainder as an incident to transferring it to a suitable place of i h r e. 1 U r An object of the invention is the provision of a rotatable transfer receiving the lowermost container from "asupply of containers in a magazine whilesupportingand movinga-ll of the containers to separate the lowermost container and to transfer it to a place of discharge. I Another object is the provision of such a transfer turret having arm's which define-pockets for receiving containers for separation anvil transfer, wherein one wall or arm of each pocket is gnoy able in advance of ;the other to engage beneath the supply of containers in the magazine and to function as; a platforrnjor supporting the con-'- tain'ers while moving them downwardly to an va p s t n at wh h m bot w lls f the pocket attose te;the l e mo t mnia ne and to transfer it to -a-suitable place of discharge.

, Numerousother objects and advantages-of the invention will hehapparent as it is better, understood-from the following description, whioh talten in connection with the accompanying drawings,

discloses "a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front .aelevational view oI f a. feedingmedhanism embodying the instant invention,

with parts broken away;

turret s av n .-po e s:., or

I Fig. [2 is a ectipnayview par the iznec'h'a illustrated in 1 gain; substantially'along theline 2--;2 in that figure; I

Fig. 3 is a sectional viewtai 'n substantially along the broken lines 3 -3 in Fig. -2 with nart's broken away; II I I 7 I I Figs} and 5 are sectional views :t ke'asupstantially along the lines in Fig. 2, showing the parts di fiere l I 6 isa perspective view Fig. I I I I the feeding 'r n echanifs'in with Lp'arts section I, Asa preferrede liiodinient'of I vent-fam neamwia s iiusfirafiear I I me l for senaratingffifire mnk'containers vidually from fthe liottom era stack" h I I cplitam r andv-ibradva theininti I a saa eg a ev illustrated are quarje in I I arranged in the smegm her I t a although the nventio uau'y well adapted to containers of other shafie's;

The feedingmechanisrn may more laboratefrnachine in w ne and withpar s ee amiss "or a ers lare received in a continuoiis I I! I ai eira cm m r ian i we n a vertical ma'ga z ne,B Fig 1') and fedfindividually from the hotto oijtl ie contimiously rotating turret C disposed vertically adjacent the magazine.

The turret, C ca ries fpmiznay or inn D and equally spaced around its peri'bheryand an e ual nimloer Oi Ifipvable arms, which are disposed adijacent the 'fixe'd 'arrns', .,"l'h'e movable m AF f m n Ql r wil t la D andfE (see also Fig. i6) in ra nin right a lar shaped pockets for tfiereception of indid a conta ner "fr m h ei'iie Br f' i g fly l ;Qf; fqtation of th. m mic and as a set of the fixed arms D and E and the ble arms-F sa pproach the magazine B, ,thelmovw jnih iu rai v i h rqi h a mead d nwaidpatnfan lowerst e s ackfa-dis tance equal tonne container. "movement parts of the mechanism are ally so as to prevent damaging of the containers by sudden falling. 1

During this lowering of the stack, the fixed f arms D and E of .the turret travel through an arc toward thestack and come-into engagement 7 with the lowermost container justas the stack reaches its fully lowered position, the fixed arms lowering action is effected smoothly and graduand themovable arms then being in the normal position of forming a right angle pocket around the container. The arms forming the pocket confine the' container on two sides. 'With the container thus seated in its pocket continued lrotation of the turret brings the next succeeding movable arms E into position under the container next above to support the stack'as just explained while the turret separates the confined container, from the remainder of the stack. and carriesit downwardly through a curved any suitable place of deposit. 7

A detailed description of the feeding mechanism will now be given. The. various working supported on a holpath of travel to low side frame 2| which constitutes the main frame. This frame serves as a casing or housing for protecting various. driving elements'of the machine located within the frame as well as for supporting parts on its exterior surface.

The magazine B is one of the parts that'is supported on the. outsideof the frame 2| and'is secured to the'front wall thereof; This magazine comprisesa casting 22 (Figs. 1, 2 and3) of integral ribs and webs setting off and surrounding a vertical'rectangular shaped passageway 23 open at its top and bottom ends for the reception of and the passage therethrough of the containers A.. Four angle iron guide bars 24 secured 'to the top of the casting adjacent the corners of the passageway are used to guide the containers intothemagazineg i V The turret C is disposed immediatelybelow the left as viewed in Fig. 1. in partastarwheel 21 on which the fixed arms Dare or may be integrally formed' The drawingsshow four of these fixed arms. Each arm is formed with a fiat, straight containerengaging face 28. It is these faces that form one side of the pockets G hereinbefore mentioned. it

The starwheel 21 is formed on the outer end of a long hub 3| (Figs. 2 and 6) which is mounted for rotation on a shouldered horizontal shaft 32 secured in a boss 33 formed on a cover plate 3 boltedf in place over a clearance opening'35 in the rear wall of the main frame 2|. The shaft is held stationary. 'A head 36 on the outer end of the shaft retains the turret in place" on' the 'shaft.

The inner end of the starwheel hub 3| is formed with a disc 38 having an inwardly projecting flange 39 which fits loosely within a clearance opening 4|"inthe front'wall of the main frame 2 The disc forms a rotatable cover plate for the opening. 1 V

The entire turret unit, including its starwheel,

hub, and flanged disc is rotated continuously-by a ring gear 44 which is bolted to the inner edge of the flange 39 on the turret disc 38. The ring gear meshes with an idler gear '45 (see also Fig.

'3) located within the main frame 2|." This idler magazine B and to one side thereof, toward the v This turret comprisesear is mounted on a short shaft46 journaled in a pair of spaced bearings 41' formed on the front and rear walls of the'frame'JThe idler gear as driven continuously by a main driving gear 48 which is journaled in the main frame and rotated in any suitable or desired manner.

The fixed arms E of the turret are disposed intermediate the starwheel 21 and the turret disc therewith in forming a pocket G. a I The movable arms F carried in the turret C for cooperation with the fixed arms D and E in re' moving containers from the magazine as hereinbefore explained, are formed on horizontally disposed sleeves, 5|v (Figs. 2, 3 and 6) which surround and are secured to actuating shafts 52. These shafts are carried in bearings 53 formed in the starwheel 27 and in bearings 54 formed in the turret disc 38. There are four sleeves 5|, oneflocated adjacent each pair of fixed arms D and E on the turret starwheel. v Each sleeve 5| carries two movable arms F, one located adjacent the turret disc and the other adjacent the starwheeli The movable arm disposed adjacent the starwheel is bent'outwardly into the vertical plane of the wheel where it is'in alignment with thefixed arms. Each movable arm is formed with a flat, straight face 56 which isdisposedat right angles to the faces 28 and of thefixed arms when the movable arms' are itate insertion'of the arms under the stack as hereinbeforementioned. The movable 'arms are maintained in their normal po'sitionand are actuated into stack supporting position by a cam device H (Fig. 6) which will now b explained. The movable arm actuating'device H controls the movement of all of the arm actuating shafts 52. For this purpose the inne'rend of each actuating shaft carries a segmental pinion 6| (Figs. 2, 4; 5 and 6) which meshes with segmental gears 62 forr'nedon cam. levers 63'mounted'on short shafts 64 journaled in suitable bearings formed in the turret disc 38. There are four cam levers 63, one for each pair of movable armsF,'and each lever carries a cam roller 65. All of these camrollers operate in a single cam'grooveBB formed in a stationary face cam 61 mounted on V the turret shaft bearing 33 of the cover plate 34. Hence as the turret C rotates, it carries the cam levers 63 mounted on the turret disc, through a circular path of travel and causes the cam rollers 65 to traverse the cam groove 66. This travel that are effective in retarding the movement of the arms F while they are in stack supporting position so that the fixed arms D and E of the turret catch up with th movable arms to form between them a right angle pocket G for the reception and separation of the lowermost conta'iner from the others in the stack. a 1 In forming these pockets the two movable arms F of each sleeve 5|, the one radjacent the-turret to coact The outer ends 'of' disc 38 and the other adjacent. the starwheel; 2.1 cooperate in supporting a container near its. op.- posite ends to hold it in a horizontal position. The other side of the" pocket is formed bywthe; fixed arm D of thestarwheel 21 which engages the container near its outer end and by'the fixed arm E which engages the container intermedi-. ate the movable arms FL Provision is made forinsuring full seating of a. container A in a pocket G of the turret: C2v as the:

' fixed arms D and E come intoengagement. with the lowered container. For this purpose the-mag azine B is provided with a yieldable depending guide shoe H which forms an extension of one; side of the magazine. The shoe comprises two separate spaced and parallel prongs extending down adjacent the length of the lowermost con tainer. These prongs are disposed opposite. the turret C. The prongs depend from a hub 12 mounted on a horizontally disposed pivot pin 13 rotatably carried in a bearing boss 14 formed on the'lower end of the magazine B. The pivot pin extends into the interior of the hollow main frame 21 and carries on its inner end a rocker lever'15, (see Figs. 4 and The rocker lever carries a cam roller'lfi which operates against an edge cam 11 formed onthe periphery of the flange 39 of the turret disc 38. This cam is formed with four high spots or projections I8, located in relation to each of the four fixed arms D of the turret C. The cam roller is maintained in operative engagement with the cam by a tension spring 19, one endof which is connected to a lug 81 formed on the rocker lever. The other end of the spring is hooked over a stationary pin 82 secured in the front wall of themain frame 2i (see Fig. 2);

Hence when a pair of the fixed arms D and E015 the turret come into engagement with the side of a lowered container A to remove it from the stack, it first presses the container against the prongs of the guide shoe 1| and this seats the container fully in the pocket. Immediately following this seating' operation a high spot 18 of the edge cam 11 forcesthe rocker lever ,15 outwardly and this movement rocks the guide shoe outwardly away from the container so that undue pressure on the container as it starts its circular path of travel with the turret, will be relieved.

During the travel of a container through its downward curved path of travel toward a place of deposit, it is maintained in position within its turret pocket G by a pair of spaced and parallel curved guide rails 85 (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) which extend down adjacent the path of travel of the container. These guide rails are tied together transversely by integrally formed spacer members 86 so as to form a unitary structure. This guide rail structure is bolted to the front wall of the main frame 2|.

The containers are further retained in their turret pockets against endwise displacement by a curved end guide rail 81 which is disposed adjacent the path of travel of the'container and which engages the outer end of the container. The inner end of the container lightly engages against the turret disc 38. This end guide rail is secured to the bottom of the magazine B and to the outer guide rails 85.

The outer guide rails 85 terminate adjacent the bottom of the turret C. Hence when a container reaches this point in its travel it falls from its turret pocket G to any suitable place of deposit. By way of example, a movable cradle 88 (Fig. 1)

- mounted on a reciprocable stroke bar 89 is shown container,;altzhough. any'other form of devicemar be: used to carry the container o any suitable place or deposit.

Itxis. thought that the. invention and many of: its attendant advantages will be; understood fromthe: foregoing description, andit, Willbe apparent; that various changes may be made. in the. form; construction and arrangement. of the parts with out departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodimentthereof.

I claim:

1. In a feeding-mechanism for separating'containers from a magazine and for transferring them to a place of discharge,-the combination of a magazine for holding a supply of containers; a rotatable transfer turret having a pocket for receiving a container from said magazine, a sta tionary arm and a movable arm carried on said turret and together forming said pocket, means actuated by the rotation of the turret for shifting said movable arm away from said stationaryarm to constitute said movable arm as a platform forengagement against" the outermost containerof the supply of containers in said magazine for temporarily supporting said supply of containers, the rotation of the turret also engaging said stationary arm against the outermost container sup-' ported in the magazine to separate said outermost container from theremaining containers to remove it from said magazine while the remaining containers in the magazine are supported by said movable arm,-said movable arm'shifting means being further operable to return saidmovable arm to its pocket forming position relative to said stationary arm whensaid movable arm ceases to function as a platform support for the containers remaining in said magazine.

' 2. In a feeding mechanism for separating con tainers from armagazine' and for transferrin them to a suitable place'of; discharge, the combination of a magazine for holding a vertical stack of containers, a-rotatable transfer turret mounted on a horizontal shaft adjacent themagazlr e, pockets in said-turret for receiving containers from said magazine comprising a. plurality of stationary arms and a plurality of cooperative movable arms, means for shifting a said movable arm away from its associated stationary arm to provide a platform for engagement beneath the lowermost container in said stack of containers in said magazine and for temporarily supporting and lowering said stack, and actuating means effective in rotating said turret for moving a said stationary arm against the lowermost container of the stack supported on said movable arm to separate said container from the other containers and to transfer it from said magazine, said movable arm shifting means returning a said movable arm to its pocket forming position relative to a said stationary arm when said movable arms cease to support the containers remaining in said magazine.

3. In a feeding mechanism for separating containers from a magazine and for transferring them to a suitable place of discharge, the combination of a magazine for holding a supply of containers, a rotatable transfer turret having pockets for receiving containers from said magazine, a plurality of stationary arms and a plurality of cooperative movable arms carried on said turret and forming said pockets, a corresponding lever for each movable arm also carried on said in; the drawings as areceiver tor.- thed sc arsed' turret, a cam for eflecting movement of said levers to shift' a said-' 'movable arm 'away 'f-rom its associated stationary arm to provide a platform for engagement beneath the lowermost container of a supply of containers in said magazine and to temporarily support said magazine 7 held containers, and actuating means effective in rotating said turret for bringing a said stationary V arm'against the said lowermost container to seprality of cooperative movable arms carried on said turret and forming said pockets, means for shift ingsaid movable arms away from said stationary arms while both are moved with the rotating turret and to provide a forward platformengaging beneath and supporting the lowermost container of the supply of containers in said magazine while a succeeding platform provides asupport for the rest of the containers in the magazine, and actuating means efiective in rotating said turret for moving a said stationary arm against the lowermost container supported in the magazine'to separate said container from the other containersand to transfer it from said magazine, saidmovable arm shifting means re-,

turning said movable arms to pocket forming positions when they cease to support the containers remaining in said magazine. 7

5. In a feeding mechanism for separating containers from a magazine and for transferrin them to a suitable place of discharge, the combination, of a. magazine for holding a supply of containers, a rotatable transfer turret having pockets for receiving containers from said magazine, a plurality of stationary arms and a plurality of cooperative movable arms carried on said turret and forming said pockets, means for shifting a said movable arm away from its associated stationary arm to provide a platform for engagement'beneath the lowermost container of a supply of containers in said magazine and" to temporarily support said magazine heldcontain- 'ers, actuating means effective, in rotating said turret for moving'a said stationary arm'a ainst the lowermost container supported in the magazine to separate said container from the other containers in the magazine, and a yieldable shoe disposed adjacent said magazine for holding'the said lowermost container against said engaging stationary arm as the container is being separated to fully seat the container in its turret pocket, said movable arm shifting means returning a said movable arm to its pocket forming position rela tive to its associated stationary arm when said movable arm ceases to support the containers remaining in said magazine.

6. In a feeding mechanism for separating containers from; a magazine and for transferrin them to a suitable zplaceof discharge, the combination of a magazinefor holding a supply of containers, a rotatable transfer turret having pockets for receiving containers from said magazine, a plurality of stationary arms and a plurality of cooperating movable arms carried on said turret and forming said pockets, means for shifting a said movable arm away from its associated stationary arm to provide a platform'for engagement beneath the lowermost container of a supply of containers in said magazine and to temporarily support said magazine held containers, actuating means effective in rotating said,

turret for moving a said stationary arm against the lowermost container supported in the magazine, to separate said container from the other containers in the magazine, a yieldable shoe disposed adjacent said magazine for holding the said lowermost container against said engaging stationary arm as the container is being separated to fully seat the container in its turret .pocket, and means for moving said shoe out of engagement with a container after seating it in its pocket, said'mov'able arm shifting means returning a said movable arm to its pocket forming position relative to its associated stationary arm when said movable arm ceases to support/the containers remaining in said magazine.

AUGUST E. ALMGREN. 

